The Starlight Tier deserves respect.
And an aboriginal Starlight-tier is worthy of even greater reverence!
So when Hugh Yu learned that Andrew Han hailed from distant blue Earth—a planet still classified as an aboriginal life world—his brown eyes immediately lit up... Recommending a Starlight-tier being for entry into the Chenriver Empire is a meritorious deed.
In short,
Once Andrew Han passes the review and formally joins the Chenriver Empire, Hugh Yu can log onto the imperial administrative website and easily claim a sizable merit reward.
Internal merit within the Chenriver Empire is even harder to obtain than Chenriver Credits.
For example, as a noble’s son and registered citizen, Hugh Yu serves as the chief officer of White Bird Administrative Star’s docking zone; if he completes a full star-year (about 8.9 planetary years) without major incidents, he earns six merit points.
But recommending a Starlight-tier being brings a full one hundred merit points!
With enough merit, one can apply for the Chenriver Empire’s advanced life-extension technologies... Hugh Yu is already over nine hundred years old, and the natural maximum lifespan for citizens is about twelve hundred years.
Even with his father’s help, at most he could live two or three hundred years longer.
Hugh Yu is unwilling to accept this—he does not want to die.
Although he sees no hope of ever reaching the Starlight Tier, and knows his life will likely remain as it is, the instinct to resist death is fundamental to all life.
That’s why Hugh Yu stays busy all day long!
It’s all to accumulate enough merit to extend his lifespan—Andrew Han’s arrival is a tremendous boon for him.
......
White Bird Administrative Star, ten thousand meters above the ground.
Accompanied by Hugh Yu, Andrew Han heads to the central city of White Bird to register his identity, and then to submit Earth’s application to join the Chenriver Empire.
The two of them fly slowly onward.
Andrew Han takes in the breathtaking scenery all around.
“So fresh.”
Andrew Han took a gentle breath and looked around.
The pure white clouds were almost entirely free of dust; sunlight shone down on the white layers, transforming them into a breathtaking, otherworldly paradise.
Andrew Han’s first impression of White Bird was its immaculate cleanliness!
It was truly spotless.
Not a trace of dust anywhere.
Beside him, Hugh Yu, dressed in a crisp uniform, explained with a cheerful smile, “Lord Andrew, White Bird Administrative Star is, after all, one of the empire’s administrative branch centers. The planet’s internal environmental governance adheres to strict standards.”
White Bird Administrative Star places great emphasis on environmental management.
Warp engines and starships are not allowed inside the planet, let alone any industry or commercial activity that could pollute the environment; such activities are confined to designated zones.
They would rather accept lower profits than compromise the environment.
Besides environmental protection, White Bird Administrative Star is most passionate about manufacturing warp engines. The widespread use of warp travel has driven up the price of these engines.
Though few understand the principles behind them, knowing how to manufacture them is enough.
“Please take a look, Lord Andrew.”
Hugh Yu pointed to the distant east: “That area is the industrial zone, surrounded by an energy shield that recycles all exhaust and pollutant particles.”
Andrew Han looked over and couldn’t help but marvel.
Even beings at the Fusion Tier—known as the Law Realm on Earth—can see tens of thousands of meters, let alone those at the Starlight Tier.
A rectangular shield of light enveloped the entire industrial district over a hundred thousand meters away. Inside, one could faintly see a network of transport rails carrying massive quantities of ore and materials.
What surprised Andrew Han the most was this:
Within the industrial zone, there were invisible, intangible spiral channels ascending upward.
Though their exact form was unclear, one could see dust, debris, and impurities inside... These industrial wastes were all drawn upward in a spiral, funneling into pollutant treatment devices at the top of the shield.
It was as if an invisible force was pulling all the industrial waste upward.
“What is that?”
Andrew Han didn’t understand and asked curiously.
“Do you mean the gravity channels?” Hugh Yu quickly explained, “This is the latest industrial pollution treatment technology we’ve acquired on White Bird. It uses gravity manipulation to prevent any leaks and transports all waste material to the treatment devices.”
“These spiral ascending channels.”
“They’re actually gravity flows, roughly ten times the gravity of an ordinary life planet.”
Hearing this,
Andrew Han’s expression was one of amazement.
Not knowing is simply not knowing—there’s nothing to be embarrassed about. Everything Andrew Han saw and heard on White Bird truly surprised and impressed him.
The two continued forward, traveling at about a hundred meters per second.
All around them were pristine white clouds, the gentle breeze carrying a mint-like freshness, and the blazing sunlight pouring down.
The air was incredibly fresh, without a speck of dust.
Andrew Han even thought... If his parents lived on White Bird, their lives might be greatly extended and aging slowed, even without life-extension technology.
“Hmm.”
“Even the cities below are this advanced.” Andrew Han looked down through the sea of clouds, then continued onward.
Hugh Yu followed alongside, occasionally offering explanations.
For example, the electromagnetic rail systems in the cities below, or the air purifiers suspended ten thousand meters above—Hugh Yu patiently explained each one.
Of course, Hugh Yu was patient.
After all, there was merit to be gained, and Andrew Han came from an aboriginal planet—never having seen any of this was perfectly normal.
The sea of clouds rippled in myriad shapes, soothing the mind—sometimes like a magnificent palace in the sky, sometimes like a vast, tranquil ocean... Occasionally, two or three Fusion-tier beings would drift out of the clouds, strolling leisurely.
“Oh, right.”